Results 2,701-2,720 of 7,283 for speaker:Josepha Madigan

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Special Areas of Conservation Designation (15 Jan 2019)

Josepha Madigan: The Farm Plan Scheme, administered by the National Parks and Wildlife Service of this Department, is currently operational albeit on a limited basis, for farmers whose management of designated areas incurs costs or requires actions over and above payments received through other schemes. It is not compensation for designation as such, but it addresses costs or losses which might arise. It...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: National Orchestras (15 Jan 2019)

Josepha Madigan: The overall aim of the Government decision in relation to the proposed transfer of the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) is to enable the orchestra to be established as a world class orchestra which would, with the NCH, provide a creative and imaginative programme strategy that would greatly enhance the offering of the combined organisation to the public. An Oversight Group and...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Culture Ireland Grant Scheme (15 Jan 2019)

Josepha Madigan: Culture Ireland offers support to Irish professional artists, arts organisations and international presenters to present work by Irish artists at significant international venues and festivals. Culture Ireland considers applications for all forms of the arts, including photography, as defined in the Arts Act 2003: “arts means any creative or interpretative expression (whether...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: City of Culture Initiative (15 Jan 2019)

Josepha Madigan: Having regard to the vacancies among the staff, Galway 2020 is currently advertising for an Irish Language Communications Officer, with a closing date for applications of 18 January. It is hoped that an appointment will be made soon after. Furthermore, the process to fill the cultural leadership vacancy is at an advanced stage and it is expected that Galway 2020 will be in a position to make...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Waterways Ireland Funding (15 Jan 2019)

Josepha Madigan: In July 2007, the North South Ministerial Council agreed to a proposal to restore a 13 km section of the Ulster Canal from Upper Lough Erne to Clones. This project is hugely important for the border region with potential to stimulate economic activity, giving a much needed boost to job creation and with the growth in water based tourism helping to attract significant numbers of visitors to...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Funding (15 Jan 2019)

Josepha Madigan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1230 and 1231 together. As the Deputy will appreciate my Department operates a wide range of funding schemes across all areas of the Departments' remit. In view of this and because of the wide range of my Department’s schemes and programmes, and the large volumes of payments and grants involved, it is not possible to provide the information sought in...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Correspondence (15 Jan 2019)

Josepha Madigan: I am advised that my Department received two customer complaints in 2016, two in 2017 and three in 2018 in relation to the Department's operations. Three of these were subsequently referred to the Office of the Ombudsman . I am advised that in each case, the matters raised have been addressed and brought to a conclusion. My Department remains committed to advancing the principles of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Abbey Theatre (16 Jan 2019)

Josepha Madigan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 34, 35 and 37 together. On 7 January I received a letter signed by over 300 theatre practitioners. It raised the concerns of the practitioners about the direction taken by the Abbey Theatre in the past two years. I have huge respect for the theatre practitioners who wrote to me and celebrate the extent and depth of the talent encompassed by the totality...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Abbey Theatre (16 Jan 2019)

Josepha Madigan: I accept it was very brave of the some 300 signatories to put their names to a letter to the Abbey Theatre of this nature and seriousness. There is no doubt about that and it is important their views are heard. They represent the acting profession throughout Ireland and the Abbey Theatre is the national theatre. I laud them for that. It is important there is a proper channel of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Abbey Theatre (16 Jan 2019)

Josepha Madigan: The Abbey Theatre certainly has a responsibility to examine the issues raised by the signatories in their letter. I wrote a letter to the Abbey Theatre on 11 January 2019. I stated that I was pleased to note that the Abbey Theatre had taken the concerns raised very seriously and had extended an invitation to representatives of the signatories to meet and discuss those concerns. I also...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Abbey Theatre (16 Jan 2019)

Josepha Madigan: I thank Deputy Boyd Barrett for his question and for acknowledging that this is a polarised debate, or perhaps we might say discussion. It is already clear from media reports that there are very different viewpoints to the debate and it has to be said that the direction taken by the current Abbey Theatre directors has been positive in many respects. Developments that have been lauded include...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Abbey Theatre (16 Jan 2019)

Josepha Madigan: Deputy Smyth asked about co-productions and the balance in the programming. Under the five year strategy the Abbey Theatre considers many different types of shows and programmes. There are co-produced shows, in association productions, presented shows and other types of shows. The balance has to be right. There must be a correct balance to support Irish artists in a meaningful way. The...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Hare Coursing Regulation (16 Jan 2019)

Josepha Madigan: I thank the Deputy for her question. My Department issued the Irish Coursing Club, ICC, with licences in August 2018 on behalf of its affiliated clubs to capture and tag hares for the 2018-2019 coursing season. These licences included conditions relating to the reporting of coursing trials. Until recently the organisation and monitoring of these trials has not been included in the licences...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Hare Coursing Regulation (16 Jan 2019)

Josepha Madigan: I certainly do not support any type of sport or hobby that would in any way prejudice the welfare of an animal. The concerns of the animal welfare groups relate to the fact that they do not consider that trials are organised to familiarise hares with the most direct route to the escape, as the Deputy said, as per condition 23. The Department understands that in order to familiarise hares...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Hare Coursing Regulation (16 Jan 2019)

Josepha Madigan: I appreciate the point the Deputy has raised. We can certainly have a conversation with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in relation to any vets that it can provide. It is of paramount importance that we keep the welfare of the hares as our primary concern, and indeed the dogs as well. It is important to say that the EU Habitats Directive has found that the Irish hare is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Film Industry (16 Jan 2019)

Josepha Madigan: The IFB was renamed Screen Ireland in 2018. Screen Ireland is the national development agency for Irish film making and the Irish film, television and animation industry. Its statutory remit is to assist and encourage the making of film in the State and the development of a film industry in Ireland. Screen Ireland supports writers, directors and production companies across these sectors by...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Film Industry (16 Jan 2019)

Josepha Madigan: I appreciate that the Deputy acknowledges that seven of ten Irish films had a female protagonist, of which we are justly proud. She is correct that we cannot rest on our laurels and I will support Screen Ireland's work in proactively seeking to increase the number of female directors, in particular. In the past year, female-led Irish films have included "The Breadwinner", "Float like a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Film Industry (16 Jan 2019)

Josepha Madigan: There is adequate funding. Since 2016, the statistics have shown significant progress. In 2016, for example, only 34% of successful project development applications had female writers. This has increased by 10% with 44% of successful applications in 2018 having a woman writer attached. In documentary development, successful women directors were at 8% in 2016, which has increased to 48% in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Legislative Reviews (16 Jan 2019)

Josepha Madigan: Post-enactment reports, as referenced in Standing Orders of both Houses of the Oireachtas, serve as a review of the functioning of an Act 12 months following the enactment of a Bill. The Government’s support for this process is reflected in the programme for partnership Government 2016. My Department was responsible for six Acts passed by the Oireachtas during the period specified by...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Legislative Reviews (16 Jan 2019)

Josepha Madigan: I made brief reference to the various Acts. The Oireachtas Library and Research Service's spotlight report on this issue mentions that while there is no single approach to undertaking post-enactment scrutiny, there is some consensus that its primary purpose is to ascertain whether the legislation, which is usually an Act, has achieved the original policy objectives. The report also...